Simply Salisburyhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com
Navigating life as a mom of sarcastic Salisburys.Mon, 19 Mar 2018 14:12:43 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://simplysalisbury.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/image.jpg?w=32Simply Salisburyhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com
3232Labor of Love… and Painhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/labor-of-love-and-pain/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/labor-of-love-and-pain/#commentsWed, 21 Feb 2018 13:48:59 +0000http://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/labor-of-love-and-pain/The last month of pregnancy is by far the LONGEST! Anticipating the new baby in the family and trying to prepare, it is no wonder women nest in the end of pregnancy. Doctor appointments are every week. My belly was measured and a doplar would be used to listen to baby’s heartbeat . Doctor’s plan: week 38 check up with doctor at another office. Week 39 come back to her office for a check up and get an order for an ultrasound to check on baby’s size. Come in for week 40 check up and go from there. I had week 38, waste of time appointment, week 39 I canceled the appointment as the roads were covered in snow and ice. Not taking a chance. That appointment was Wednesday. There was nothing available the rest of the week and due date was Monday… we would wait it out and see what happened. If I didn’t have baby I’d go in on the 14th. That was my plan.. baby had a different plan in mind…

Each time I have given birth my body has made such a nice womb for the baby, there was NEVER any sign of labor, including Braxton Hicks contractions. Nothing would start until after receiving a pitocin drip to induce labor.

This time around I contemplated a home birth but not until the last month and at that time it was not financially an option. There were also concerns of going too far beyond my due date, needing pain meds (hello epidural!), and other possible complications. My birthing experiences haven’t been easy, nor did they come naturally. Baby K was the only kid who showed up near his due date, but that was because he was induced at that time.

Let me tell you this Little Man had different ideas!

His original due date was February 12, although all ultrasounds showed him (as was the same with the previous pregnancies) measuring approximately 10 days bigger. Totally normal for me! This kid would be born like all the rest… late and induced and big. Oh man!

So I had no concerns when canceling my appointment due to icy roads and snow. Being 39 weeks I didn’t want to risk anything… AJ didn’t want me to either. The next appointment wasn’t available until two weeks later… a week after my due date. Haha ok see ya at the hospital. The actual nurse at the office told me to come in in the 14th if no baby came.

Fast forward to Friday afternoon. I was cleaning around the house and started feeling crampy. I didn’t think much of it. So much so I told AJ to continue with his plans of attending our church’s family Valentine’s event from 6-9, mind you church is an hour away in the opposite direction from the hospital. About 4:30 he was preparing to leave and told me he could stay since I was in pain and he didn’t want me going into labor alone (well with only K home). I brushed him and the idea of being in labor off. Please, no way I’m in labor, this body simply does not do self-started labor. Denial is most definitely not only a river in Egypt. By 5:30pm I decided to start tracking my cramps and figure out what was going on. I’d never had Braxton Hicks contractions before so maybe this was it, heck I’ve never had any contractions without being under the effects of pitocin. Within an hour of starting to track, my contractions ranged from mild to intense pain, 20 seconds to 1 minute long, and from two to ten minutes apart. There was nothing regular about these “cramps”. Still there were 15 per hour… enter my mother.

I love my mom! I’m so blessed to have her and it’s quite unfortunate she lives so far away. Chatting away on FaceTime and a few “cramps” later mom insisted I call AJ home to take me to get checked at the hospital, ya know since I hadn’t been checked at all for anything other than baby’s heartbeat over the last month. Even the “high risk” doctor’s office I had been visiting didn’t do much other than ultrasounds once a month to measure baby’s growth. At this point it was about 7pm and these were no longer cramps, I had moved beyond that portion of denial… contractions sure. But labor? Psh… my body? Ha!

My girlfriend and OBGYN nurse suggested getting up and walking around when I had a contraction. Walking around would lessen the pain and intensity of the false labor. Standing up and walking around… sure I could do that. When the pain intensified as I walked around my house and sometimes even shot into my upper legs I knew I needed to start listening to my body and my mom. Thankfully AJ was on his way home. D and S were at a friend’s house and K was with me… trying to help me not pack my bag. No I didn’t have a bag packed! Why would I do that? Remember never ever gone into labor before!?

AJ got home, loaded up the car and we headed to the hospital. About Hal way there I figured I should call to let them know I was coming… that’s normal right? Between contractions I managed to call the labor and delivery ward who directed me to call my on call doctor before coming in… uh ya I’ll call but I’m still coming in. I’m in labor. A few minutes later the on call returned my call and told me the hospital was busy and “If I were you I wouldn’t come in tonight.”

Uh… where do I go then? “Well you can come but there’s no bed, we are very busy.”

I’m in labor for three hours and I need to be at least checked! (This is a Friday night after all).

“You can come in but I wouldn’t if I were you….”

I called mom back not knowing what to do. She calmly explained what I needed to say when we got to the hospital. Be firm but polite. Have I mentioned I love my mom?!

A few more easy contractions and a few more painful, stop me in my steps in the parking lot contractions we were inside the hospital. Inside the ER I was wheeled upstairs, the nurse downstairs would bring up my paperwork. A kind nurse wheeled me up to L&D and I was quietly assured I had rights and to not be afraid. Further confirmation I was doing the right thing. Once upstairs a nurse in L&D immediately directed us to a room, with a bed for me.

By 9:30pm I was getting changed into the very revealing hospital gown, leaving a cup of urine in the bathroom and ready for the fun. The nurse strapped on contraction and baby heart beat monitors, asked a few questions and got me settled in.

10pm: the on call person would be done with the current c-section and be in to see and check me by 10:15. Ok sure I can breathe thru a few more contractions and get checked.

10:30pm I was getting very uncomfortable and the on call person still hadn’t come in to check on me. One nasty contraction had me out of bed, on the verge of tears, telling AJ it hurt and moaning loud enough to bring in the nurse. We are talking bending over the bed breathing through a massive contraction, AJ rubbing my back, pain level 8, with a desire to bear down and push type of contraction. In came the nurse. She quickly got permission to check me as the doctors were still in surgery, there were complications. Before she could come back I was out of bed again with another contraction. Yelled again as the nurse came back in telling me she had permission to check me I wanted to push and could feel pressure. I was crying and told her I felt pressure. She calmly told me I needed to get back in bed so she could check me and we didn’t want the baby to drop onto the floor. I slowly crawled back into bed as another contraction came and at that point my hospital gown was gone. I was left with my bra and a sheet. Once on the bed I could barely get onto my back. Nurse Sue checked me quickly and stated I was at 6/7 and she would let the doc know. I messaged my mom and girlfriend whom I had promised could be there for the delivery, it’s on her bucket list and why not? She wasn’t going to be able to make it. Mom couldn’t believe I was that far along already and glad I was at the hospital.

More pain, more contractions and the need to push. Nurse came back in with a few other nurses to get me setup for delivery. They must have really not thought I was going to deliver because no one had brought up my paperwork, I had no IV in and my cup of urine was still in the bathroom. I asked the head nurse for an epidural. Nope not enough time and the phlebotomist was in the c-section surgery still. Maybe something in my IV for pain? Sure. Oy another pressure pain and wanting to push! No drugs for me, baby was coming. I needed to push. My water hadn’t broken but I felt so much pressure. “Don’t push, breath thru it, calm deep breaths!” Nope I pushed a little, baby was coming! This time my water broke for sure!! The head nurse was doing most of the running around prepping for delivery. I didn’t care who delivered, heck AJ was there he could catch baby. Another contraction, bearing down, breathing and pushing! My IV was quickly and carefully put in my hand between contractions. The on call midwife came in to deliver baby. There was no pain relief, only holding AJ’s hand and the head nurse’s as well at one point. I was slightly on my left side, holding the bed rail, squeezing AJ’s hand and pushing the baby out.

Three additional, focused and intense pushes and Baby J was fully delivered! I could feel every sensation and desire to push. I could feel baby’s head as he came out and each additional portion of his body. Baby J arrived 10:50pm Friday 9 February 2018!

As I slowly turned the rest of the way onto my back he was placed directly on me. His umbilical cord still attached and this boy was ready to nurse! He latched on like a champ. We both lay there breathing, crying, smiling. We had done it! After allowing the blood to finish flowing out of the cord into baby AJ cut the cord. As baby J nursed a bit the midwife had me deliver the placenta and she cleaned out as much as she could to make sure no blood clots or complications occurred during recovery.

This delivery was one of a kind for me. I can not imagine what circumstances would have been had I not called AJ home, if I had listened to the on call and not come in, if I had not had AJ home to help and take care of me. Luckily K slept during the entire delivery. The staff understood we were trying to get someone to pick him up. This delivery came so quickly there was no time for a sitter to get him. Our girls were at a friends house in Stroudsburg and the mom was going to bring Dawn home and get K from us at the hospital. By the time delivery was done she had not made it to the hospital yet and AJ decided to take K home. Dawn had been dropped off already at the house.

This delivery and entire experience was different than any of the others. We had no family in town to help with the little kids. Most of our friends were able to help but the night of delivery most were out or unavailable. Heck I didn’t even know I was in labor for the first three hours!

Another unexpected aspect was the actual delivery. I’ve heard about pushing and pressure during labor but having had epidurals every other time I barely felt pressure during delivery. The desire to push and sensations were an intense feeling of needing to push out a large bowel. There is no other sensation in comparison to the feelings of labor. As this was my first adventure in natural labor I could now understand how and why some women actually have a bowel movement during labor. There is no way to differentiate between labor pressure pain and the pressure of a bowel movement in midst of labor.

Having gone through this experience I am glad to call it my last. This little man came in to life at 10lbs 11oz, 22 inches long and 14.5 inch circumference of a head!

The back peddling and excuses from others after the delivery were enough to make me roll my eyes. “Well if you had come in for an appointment we probably would have seen you were already dilated.” Or “I never told you not to come to the hospital.” Baby J arrived and we were both healthy. Also I know when people are doing a CYA.

What I wish I had was more preparation prior to delivery. A better plan for the kids during my hospital stay. Also more photos. I would have loved photos right after delivery with baby J and I bonding or with AJ being my support. There was no way to do these things and I will always have the memories, this blog and my healthy kids. I do have some recovery photos to share with you though.

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/labor-of-love-and-pain/feed/213-untitled-14salisburyarmyNail Salon Alternativeshttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/10/nail-salon-alternatives/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/10/nail-salon-alternatives/#commentsWed, 10 Jan 2018 17:02:51 +0000http://simplysalisbury.com/?p=2283Life before marriage, home ownership, multiple kids and pets I would find time to take myself to the salon for a nice manicure. I’d get French tips or acrylics with fun airbrush designs. It was so nice.

Now I think…. dang that’s a tank of gas and someone to babysit the kids plus finding someone I like to do my nails. Ugh not worth it, and I’d slap on a layer of nail polish at night while the kids were in bed. My fabulous nails would last one, maybe two days then I’d have to hide my chipped nail polish or clean it off and start over. Not exactly the best time management process. For full disclosure, I do not wear cleaning gloves while washing dishes or cleaning the house. This may effect your own results as well.

Apparently I’m not the only one with this dilemma because a few companies have come up with some alternative solutions to the nail salon. HALLELUJAH! Gel polish has also become more popular and easier to apply at home. Sure the drug stores carry a lot of brands and options, including sticker nails, glue on nails and even acrylic options (ok that one is at the beauty supply store). But still there are many options and promises of long lasting fantastic nails. For the purpose of this review I chose to narrow the options down and look at some home business/direct sale companies: Jamberry nail strips, ColorStreet polish strips and Avon’s gel polish.

Nail polish has come a long way and there are MANY options out there. I chose Avon’s 7 layer gel brand as it is closest to getting a gel manicure at the salon without leaving your house. Avon delivers on its promise of one layer application for long lasting durable nail polish. The color is thick and easily applies to my nails. For $10 you get a bottle and your choice of color. I found a pretty teal color and used that baby. One application was enough for full coverage on my nails with no touch ups. For a nail polish it also dried fairly quickly. I was impressed. The 7-in-1 polish lasted longer than my average drug store nail polish. When it came time to remove the polish it does take a bit more polish remover. I actually used acetone polish remover. There are a lot of images of the gel polish colors and finish here. It is a great product and you can use it with other nail decals as well.
PROS:
great colors
strong finish
long lasting

PROS CONS-long lasting -more effort to remove than regular polish-great colors -shortest wear time of 3 products-built in base and top coat -wait for polish to dry-strengthens nails-$10/bottleJamberry has been around since 2010, a direct sales company started by three sisters. After nail polish, Jamberry was my first experience using a nail polish alternative. Admittedly I have quite the collection of these nails. Most designs are $15, including limited holiday prints. There are some (the licensed products) which cost more; Wonder Woman, NFL, NBA, Disney and Peanuts characters.

As you can see from my collection, I can get more than one application per sheet. My nails are longer and I have a larger nail bed than most women. Any of the sizes which do not fit directly on my nails I can trim or cut to use for a pedicure or future manicure.

To apply these nails you need to use heat. I have a mini-heater from Jamberry which is quiet and works quickly. Prior to the heater I used my hair dryer. The important aspect is to make sure there is enough heat before and after applying. Making sure the strip is applied firmly, evenly and only on the nail bed is important to the nails lasting. Also, air bubbles are your nemesis. Take the time to heat and apply these nails properly for unbelievably long-lasting nail designs.

Some of these sheets I have had for over a year and are still as usable as they were the day I bought them. I really like that I don’t have to wait for my nails to dry before doing something else. I can do my nails during the middle of the day if I want! Unfortunately tho i do need to wait at least an hour before getting my nails wet. So I will usually apply these at night before bed to allow ample setting time. Although I do not have to worry about letting my nails dry before going to sleep…

When I do want to remove my Jamberry I do have to soak my nails in acetone. There are other methods for removal but I find them to be time consuming, sometimes more so than the application process. Depending on your patience and process this could actually cause your nails to be left brittle and weak.

The idea behind Color Street, according to their site, began in 1984. I have only recently begun to hear about Color Street and their direct sale products. I found a rep and she sent me some nail samples to try. I decided to try them on with some of my existing Jamberry nails to compare the longevity and durability.

As you can see from my nail beds and the remaining nails they both lasted a good time. Some of the ColorStreet nails lasted longer than the others. Jamberry: blue hearts and gold houndstooth. ColorStreet: remaining three nails.

ColorStreet was surprisingly easy to apply. Each order comes with a mini nail file and nail wipes to ensure a clean surface when applying. There is a slight scent of nail polish, nothing extreme or overpowering, even being pregnant it didn’t bother me.

Applying these nails requires not much more than is provided in each order. I found I could stretch the nails slightly to cover the edges of my nails when the nail polish strip was not quite the perfect size for my nail bed. Also one strip is enough for two nails. Easily enough I was able to apply the polish strip, slightly bend and apply it the other half to another nail. Finally simply file the edges to be the perfect fit and long lasting polish.

I did find the plain polish was not as long lasting as the other polish prints. It was still a great fit and color. I ordered a Halloween print and they lasted about 10 days, loved that they were glow in the dark too!

For my birthday I was able to get a great deal from my ColorStreet rep. I found as my natural nails chipped or broke the nail polish strips would break off with the nail leaving the remaining polish on, unchipped and simply needing a quick filing. Below is the polish strips I wore for my birthday. They lasted almost two weeks until they started looking like this. You can see the growth in my nail beds but also where the polish had chipped away from my tips… I’m not dainty. (Let’s not talk about my dried and cracked cuticles right now ok? I promise they don’t look this bad ALL the time!)

I did notice you must have a rep to shop from the ColorStreet site, which is slightly irritating. Overall I am pleasantly surprised by the product offered by ColorStreet. The prices range from $11-$14, depending on the style you choose. To remove these nails, treat them like polish. I use polish remover and q-tips or cotton balls.

Both Jamberry and ColorStreet offer deals in packages and multiple products purchased; for example, buy 3 get 1 free.

Overall the application process for ColorStreet is the best. In terms of longevity and durability, Jamberry wins this one. ColorStreet is best for price but choices are higher with Jamberry. If you still like the nail polish options, Avon 7-in-1 polish is fabulous but not my go-to any longer. So depending on which is more important to you Jamberry or ColorStreet is your choice. For now I will continue using the Jamberry packs I have and eventually switch over to more ColorStreet as they are quicker to apply.

Want a sample of either Jamberry or ColorStreet? Let me know. Have you tried any of these or other salon alternative nail applications?

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/10/nail-salon-alternatives/feed/1img_3547salisburyarmyimg_1082img_1083daaf9b46-25be-4186-b22e-5419b2300b16img_4116Revisit Blue Apronhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/revisit-blue-apron/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/revisit-blue-apron/#respondWed, 03 Jan 2018 21:17:10 +0000http://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/?p=2300We have had a membership with Blue Apron for some time now and have even given out a few free meals for friends to try as well. AJ and I enjoyed their meals and the service for the most part but could not justify continuing to spend the money each week on meals for us while buying and making separate meals for the kids. Since my original post and review of Blue Apron a few other things have changed, for us and them.

Blue Apron came out with an app to follow which meals are being scheduled for future deliveries. This allows members to choose their meal delivery preferences as well as skip a delivery if so desired, all from the convenience of your phone. This helped save me time and frustration navigating a website from my phone or pulling out the computer. Also seeing the app on my phone helps remind me to check the upcoming schedule. Blue Apron is an automatic delivery service, which means if you do not edit you will be charged and receive a delivery.

When setting up your account, or any time during your service, you can choose between getting meals for two people or a “family”. Although there is no indication or way to change the number of servings for a family. The implication is a family of four here. So if you have a larger family a two meal plan would not be enough.

Family plan options allow you to choose from 4 pre-planned meal options. Select to have your delivery consist of 2, 3 or all 4 of the meals. Either way your price per serving is $8.74 with free shipping. Fairly decent price for a meal. Comparably you’re looking at maybe Chinese takeout or a fast food restaurant, possibly cheap meal at a casual dining place. You won’t be getting steak or anything fancy though. For us the family meals still were not worth it. The frustrations of picky eaters and kids wanting meat in every meal (unless it is purely pasta) was not worth the price.

Since our kids were not thrilled with the meals I switched our plan from a two meal family plan to a three meals for two plan this last spring. The choices change when using a two person vs family meal plans.

For two people plan choose 2 or 3 meals per weekly delivery but now you get to choose from 8 different meals instead of 4! This would be nice for a family plan Blue Apron!! Each meal is $9.99 per serving but if you only have 2 meals delivered you will pay shipping, $7.99 for us. Psh who likes to pay for shipping? Not me!

Another change Blue Apron recently made was adding in Whole 30 meals. This is nice for those following Whole 30 and might be something I will be looking into more after baby boy comes. Of the 8 meals to choose from next week none are marked as 30 minute meals, although Blue Apron does occasionally offer them. Here is my current list of meals to choose from for next week to give you an idea:

Not a bad selection. Which meals stand out to you as something you’d want to try? I usually find two meals each week I want to try but not a third so I skip the delivery. A few weeks ago I forgot to update my delivery (skip) and we received a box, the week before Christmas. Three meals came for two people. Great AJ and I could use them or I could wait and use them later. We ended up doing the latter. Prior to this we hadn’t selected a meal delivery since April. At that time it was a delivery of Spaghetti Bolognese, Za’atar-spiced chicken and seared catfish with udon noodles. This time it was their preselected “popular” meals since I had not made any changes. Beef medallions and brown butter caper sauce with Italian-spiced tomatoes and turnip, seared chicken and mashed potatoes with mushroom pan sauce, sheet pan pork pitas with carrot fries and harissa yogurt.

So far I’ve made 2/3 meals. Last night we had the chicken meal for dinner and I made the pitas for lunch. I felt wasteful with the pitas! After all was cooked, said and done I had two very full overflowing pork pitas. Stuffed with mostly lettuce and covered in harissa sauce. The flavors were delightful and I was surprised at the combinations from the pork and the roasted onions. The carrots were simply delicious as well. Between the two overflowing pitas there was still enough leftovers for a salad, and then some. The head of lettuce and picked Peruvian peppers were wasted (too much) as well as pork seasoning and harissa sauce. Half of the seasoning wasn’t even used and even with spreading sauce over the entire pita there was too much. Delicious meal but I hate to be wasteful.

This is the image from Blue Apron for the meal… I definitely had more veggies in my pita than is shown.

For dinner the chicken was delicious. I am NOT a mushroom fan but mixed in with the pan sauce and eaten with the sautéed garlic kale and mashed potatoes it came together nicely. Normally mushrooms are too overcooked or slimy or not fresh enough for me so I choose not to eat them. With this combination it was delightful, although I definitely could still get the mushroom texture (not my favorite). The chicken was moist and scrumptious. Dawn and I enjoyed the entire meal for dinner. S had a difficult time swallowing the kale (she actually spit a mouthful of it into the toilet, thinking I didn’t know). K ate a bit of chicken and was done. They obviously were plated a very small portion as I knew they would not appreciate or like the meal. There were no leftovers or throw-away items from this meal. The seasonings and cooking oils are what made this meal not your typical “buy ingredients at the store” type of meal. Frankly they are also what helped make the meal flavorful.

This is the Blue Apron image for the chicken.

The steak might be the meal I was anticipating enjoying the most. Overall the steak portion was filling and plenty. The meal included one small turnip to use with the chard for a side dish. Yes ONE tiny turnip for two people.

I’m not sure where Blue Apron came up with the red and orange colors in the chard for this meal. There are clearly no other vegetables for the chard and turnip.

As for the packaging, I am glad most of the materials are all still recyclable. My only contention is the process for recycling the ice packets. Blue Apron sends clear bags with gel ice packs. This is not something you want down your drain nor is it recyclable. The instructions are to let the ice packs thaw, dump the “liquid” in the trash and recycle the plastic lining. We did that with one bag and it was a mess. I’m all for recycling but the mess and time involved with thawing and dumping the insides is not worth it for me. Something is still left to be desired for the refrigeration process here Blue Apron.

My next complaint is with the potatoes. In this box there were two bags of potatoes for two meals. Each was to be 3/4 lbs of potatoes. One bag had two potatoes the other had 4. Out of curiosity I weighed them both. As you can see they are clearly not both 3/4lb. I get they wont be exact but don’t send me less than what I paid for. 14oz is 2 oz more than 3/4lb but 11 oz is 1oz short. It’s the principal of the matter guys! Would you go to the store and pay for produce you did not receive? That’s what happened here.

Overall I haven’t canceled my Blue Apron membership simply because on occasion it is nice to have a meal planned out by someone else. I also enjoy trying the little extra things I normally wouldn’t purchase or can’t find in my local stores. Will I always use Blue Apron? Probably not… there are many options out there.

Have you tried a meal delivery service? What other subscription services have you heard of or tried? Let me know in the comments!

*Giveaway! As of January 29th I have 5 free meals to send out. If you would like one, comment on this post and make sure you are following along for more updates!

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/revisit-blue-apron/feed/0img_4501salisburyarmyTrying to Survivehttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/trying-to-survive/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/trying-to-survive/#respondWed, 03 Jan 2018 02:35:46 +0000http://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/?p=2292Being an Army wife is terrible sometimes! Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and support him in all he does to help improve and support our family. What I can not stand is the time apart.

We have been quite fortunate enough to have avoided the last few deployments. This time around missing the deployment means attending Army schooling courses, for months. This was something I knew was coming but was still not prepared completely. I don’t think anyone ever really can be.

The months preceding his departure we awaited his orders and specific travel dates. When the orders did arrive he received PCS, permanent change of station(read: move) but for only the seven months required for his training. So more of a temporary PCS. Yes please! Let us move our entire family, pack up the house, kids, animals, sell or rent the house AND find somewhere to live in Georgia. While there we will have a child graduate high school, and a new baby come along. GIVE. ME. A. BREAK! This was one of the most obscene and asinine things I have heard the military doing. In addition to the craziness, life as a National Guard service member is different than full-time active duty military personnel. To get an idea on the active duty side look at these articles here. Most National Guard service members do not live near a fully active duty base, making a lot of these services and benefits difficult to obtain. That’s a whole other conversation for another day.

Once the crazy orders came in, we started freaking out. AJ contacted the travel department and advised them of the upcoming baby. They allowed him to change over to temporary duty orders (TDY). This is similar to what happens when someone is deployed. The family does not attend with the soldier. Splitting his orders and classes up allows AJ to come home after the first class is finished October thru January. The second will start in the summer 2018 and he will be able to return when that class is finished as well.

Could the situation be worse? Abso-freaking-lutely! could it be better? Of course! I am accustomed to spending a few days a month separated from AJ. The kids have even grown use to daddy being “at work” some weekends. This time it has been slightly more difficult. Daddy isn’t here so it must be ok to break all the rules right? Then there are the constant projects or things breaking needing attention. These things never happen when he is home, only when he is gone. This must be the less well known, Newton’s Fourth Law of Physics. “If something can go wrong, break, or fall apart; it will happen when soldier leaves for extended period, not before.” ugh

Can I manage? Yes. Is it easy? No, but I probably make it look easier than it really is as well. I tend to be the type of person to buckle down and go with the flow. Trying to prepare for the arrival of a baby is difficult enough on its own, couple that with doing it alone…. ya!

Sometimes I need a break and without AJ or family in the area, I can’t get away. I don’t necessarily need a get away either. Sometimes I need a few hours alone at home to rest, get chores done or simply unwind.

In site of the bad, I know we are extremely blessed. AJ is state side, he is in a safe place and most of all we can communicate with him on a mostly daily basis. Many of these things are not available to others who deploy or even in generations prior. The situation could be a lot worse, and I know this. It helps me not take for granted what we have and remember how fortunate we truly are through the long months… weeks… days… ok sometimes hours.

At the end of the day, all the kids are safe, tucked into their warm beds, we have a plan; he will be home for the birth of the baby; and this too shall pass. All in all I knew what I was getting into when I married AJ. He was already in the military and being separated is always on the table.

For a little bit more humor I found a few more comics relating to military spouse life for you. Enjoy!

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/trying-to-survive/feed/0img_8583.jpgsalisburyarmy2010-05-30-The-Second-Week-of-Deployment5c4137e87f63914d3643eb01441f5e1e67a40864e51d440b01ce68287978cfb2--military-humor-military-spousea281726702af4674f37cd7a5c447c83cMy Holiday Recipeshttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/my-holiday-recipes/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/my-holiday-recipes/#respondWed, 20 Dec 2017 14:53:21 +0000http://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/?p=2290It’s been a crazy few months. I have started multiple posts ranging from product reviews to Real Talk to more Friday finds and everything in between. I’ve been distracted and working on getting them all up. So get ready for post palooza at the end of this year! In the meantime let’s talk about our finally collab post for the 2017 year, favorite holiday recipes.

Admittedly I don’t do anything fancy for the holidays for our meals. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are interchangeable around here. However, I do enjoy baking (really, do you not know this about me yet?) I’m not a creative baker by any means, I use recipes I find online, I do not create my own recipes. I will tweak them but I am not a scientific baker. Maybe one day I’ll gather the courage.

On with the show! This year I’ve made (so far) chocolate drop pretzels (with Kisses and Rolos), turtles, chocolate crinkles, sugar cookies and PB kiss cookies. I plan to make more PB kiss and sugar cookies as well as some thumbprint cookies. I use to make Mexican wedding cookies too but the amount of ingredients required to make them in relation to the amount of cookies they put out isn’t always worth it to me. I make all these treats for cookie plates to give out to friends and neighbors. Additionally I will be making truffles, Rice Krispy Treats, caramels and PB balls. I really do find most of my recipes online so there really isn’t a favorite, it’s more of a “will this recipe work with what I have on hand?” sort of plan.

My favorite recipe must be the turtles this year because they have to be under constant lock down… from myself! Pecans + caramel + chocolate… what’s not to love! Unless you’re my oldest, D, and can’t eat them due to braces. Without further ado I will share this recipe with you. Mine did not turn out as pretty but they sure are tasty! My photos are lacking in the baking process as I had little K under foot all day. Trying to avoid stepping on him or burning him took precedent over photos, sorry guys.

When I finish my baking and have a plate of treats to show you I will come back and add a photo. Plan on that by the end of this week.

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe? Share it with us! Add your recipe to the comments below or linkup your blog!

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/my-holiday-recipes/feed/0img_5482salisburyarmyThings I’m Thankful Forhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/things-im-thankful-for/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/things-im-thankful-for/#commentsTue, 21 Nov 2017 16:08:48 +0000http://simplysalisbury.com/?p=2276For our November write up we’ve been posting what we are thankful for to correspond with the Thanksgiving holiday.

Admittedly this is one of the more difficult posts for me to make all year. I am not predisposed to positive, grateful thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I know I am blessed and have many blessings, gifts and privileges many people in the world will never see. I am simply not an “OMG thank you so much!” type of person. Again, I know I have much and thus much is expected at times. Just know this is not an easy off the cuff list/post for me to make.

A good friend of mine encouraged me a few months ago to sit down at the end of each day, think about my day, and write down at least one thing or event from that particular day I am thankful for. It was a great idea and I did make the effort, for a day or two. The idea is to bring positivity into your life by acknowledging and realizing what you have, instead of pondering the things you feel you are lacking.

I also wanted to make this post different from last year’s post. I posted 30 things for 30 days of gratitude last year. This year I figure why not use the alphabet? It’s a great helper to keep me on track.

A: Acts of kindness. Performing or receiving, there is blessing for all.B: Books. As nice as technology is and helpful to finish listening to a book, there is still something comforting about curling up on the couch (winter) or sitting out in the sun (summer) with a good book physically in hand.
C: Christmas Carols. Yep I’ve been listening to Pandora’s Christmas channel for a few weeks now.
D: Democracy. Yes our governments are a mess but life could definitely be A LOT worse.
E: Electricity. I know this one sounds silly but with the experiences we’ve had living in the north east, electricity is definitely an invention I’m thankful to have in my life.
F: Family. As dysfunctional as we may be at times, my family is mine.
G: Grass. Remember when you were a kid and running around the front yard with no shoes on feeling the fresh grass on your feet? My kids don’t either… we have no grass here in the rocky, weed growing woods.
H: Home-based businesses. I am part of Younique but I also LOVE supporting and being able to purchase from my friends who also are working from home. Direct sales companies or crafty people.
I: Indoor plumbing. Oh Em Gee Becky. The privacy of my bathroom and ability to turn a faucet on to get water in my house.
J: Jesus Christ. My savior and redeemer.
K: Kid kisses. The pure love from a child’s kiss to mom is so healing!
L: Love languages
M: Mothers. Especially my own mom and Grandma.
N: Nature. I have not appreciated nature in the beginning of my life as I do now living in the woods.
O: (adult time) The big O (not Oprah). Please don’t ask me to go into further detail.
P: Pregnancy. It isn’t an easy 10 months, but I am blessed with the ability to carry and birth my children.
Q: Quiet moments. With 3 kids, a dog and a cat; quiet time is few and far between. When those moments do come I cherish the quiet.
R: Ring. More specifically my wedding ring. (sappy alert) It is my constant reminder of how lucky and loved I am.
S: Snuggles! When I don’t feel good, (physically or mentally) a nice snuggle on the couch sure helps me. ok the kids too when they aren’t feeling well.
T: Tribes. I’ve written a few posts about my different tribes (such as this one), we all have them and all need them.
U: Underwear! Yes more laundry but man what a blessing it is to have undies for everyone in my family, and multiple pairs!
V: Vocal Cords. Talking, singing, even yelling at the kids.
W: World wide web. I am able to find so many answers, reach out to friends and family across the country and pretend I know the latest kid craze thanks to www!
X: (ya I’ve got nothing here)
Y: Younique. I’ve been able to meet a lot of fabulous women and learn more about my own inner beauty by being a part of this company.
Z: Zumba!! Great music + friends + dancing = a fat burning workout! Doesn’t get much better than that.

What are you thankful for? Do you have a daily gratitude journal? Share your blog post with us and link up below or put a few things you’re thankful for in the comments.

Next month join us for the last link up of the year and share a holiday recipe.

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/things-im-thankful-for/feed/1img_5482salisburyarmyPie Night 2017https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/pie-night-2017/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/pie-night-2017/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 14:03:08 +0000http://simplysalisbury.com/?p=2258Our biggest tradition each year, outside of the holidays, is our annual pie night. Each November the Friday before Thanksgiving we have what others may also call Friendsgiving. We call it Pie Night.

This year AJ will be traveling and gone a lot this fall. Instead of cancelling this fabulous event we decided to simply move it up a few months. A lot of prep and planning goes into Pie Night. For months I look thru online recipes and cookbooks I have on hand. The process sounds easy enough but do you know how many different versions of a pecan pie are out there? It’s a bit mind blowing.

My final list of pies was about 23 pies. Slightly ambitious? Yes. Part of the fun for me is challenging myself to see how many will actually make the time cut after making the “sounds tasty” by the family cut.

Tradition requires a chicken pot pie and a cherry pie. I’m not a cherry fan, but AJ loves them so I figure once a year it would be ok to let him have what he wants.

Traditionally, my friend Tara would come up in the morning and help out during the day while the kids are at school. She’s a self-proclaimed “not a pie maker” but her help is absolutely invaluable. I realized just how much this year when she wasn’t here to help prep and wash dishes. I missed you this year Tara!! I hope you decide to do your own version of pie night in your new home out west.

A friend also brought a store made pumpkin pie. The kids loved that one. AJ grilled up some burgers and dogs for dinner. This helped the chicken pot pie not go so quickly. Despite AJ’s many “ick” faces regarding the pear pie, he thought it was delicious and wanted me to make a second one a few days later. Guess that one is a keeper. The watermelon chiffon was mostly eaten, however the family said don’t make it again as it wasn’t a favorite. I’m ok with that since it was basically a watermelon Jell-O pie. ugh

Over the last few weeks I have been making the pies which didn’t make the time cut since we had the ingredients. The salted chocolate caramel pecan pie was DE-LISH-OUS! Definitely making that again, and I might not wait until next year. This is a pretty delicious tradition and we have a lot of fun having our house full of friends.
What are some of your traditions for fall? We plan on going to the pumpkin patch soon, and maybe pick some apples.

Link up your fall traditions post below.

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Join us every third Wednesday.

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/pie-night-2017/feed/0img_5482salisburyarmyI’ll Show You My… Back to Schoolhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/09/20/ill-show-you-my-back-to-school/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/09/20/ill-show-you-my-back-to-school/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 18:43:11 +0000http://simplysalisbury.com/?p=2246Can you believe it’s been a month already? Can you believe it’s fall?! Where did the Summer go?

For our little brood school started almost a month ago. Our kids don’t need a lot of back to school supplies fortunately. The schools are pretty good about not requiring a bag of supplies brought in the first day. So most of our back to school is a new backpack and some clothes.

Let’s be real here, my kids aren’t the most gentle on their possessions. So most of the shopping we do is clearance and sometimes from second hand shops. There are great deals to be found. So we don’t spend a lot of money on back to school shopping.

I don’t think it really registered with my kids they were going back to school. Dawn didn’t even let me do the obligatory first day of school photo! Luckily Little Red let me snap a few of her before we headed off to the bus stop.

Little Red and Little Man first day of schoolLittle Red’s first day of 2nd grade

First day of 2nd grade is a success!

How was the first day of school at your house? Link up below.

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Join us next month for fall fun activities.

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/09/20/ill-show-you-my-back-to-school/feed/0img_5482salisburyarmyI’ll Show You My Vacationhttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/ill-show-you-my-vacation/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/ill-show-you-my-vacation/#respondWed, 16 Aug 2017 18:22:22 +0000http://simplysalisbury.com/?p=2225This summer has been a busy one around here. While we haven’t been out or travelling much with three kids from toddler to teenager, everyone has their own schedules and ideas of summer fun. On top of the kid schedules and summer ideals AJ has been keeping himself busy with travel for work and the National Guard. The poor guy needs some down time to unwind and relax. It seems even family vacations can be not as much fun for him, or me for that matter.

Our most recent family vacation was this summer just this month. I had a work convention in New Orleans with Younique and since none of our family had ever been there before we opted to make it a family trip. I think this sounded easier and better in theory. Don’t get me wrong, we had a good time but traveling with all the kids and exploring a city is not easy for one parent alone. Like I said, the man needs a vacation.

Our vacation started with our flight down to NoLa (New Orleans, Louisiana), read all about there here. Once we arrived it was late at night and the 5 of us needed transportation. We hailed our first Uber! More on our Uber experiences later. Let’s get to why you’re here… our vacation!

We did a lot of walking around the city, our hotel was close to where I needed to be and downtown. My personal to do list while we were there frankly consisted mostly of trying the local food. Hey I know my priorities! Besides I was in classes most of the time during the day or had events at night.

AJ and the kids explored more than I did and they had a great time doing so. They walked around the city, visited the French Quarter, an insectarium and aquarium. (AJ has those photos on his phone, I forgot to snag them from him. I will edit the post with his photos later.) The kids weren’t terribly interested in trying the local cuisine. They preferred McDs to local fried southern chicken. I still don’t understand that one, but hey no money or food wasted there I suppose.

There was a lot of rain, one day there was even a flash flood! We tried to keep inside during the downpour. We stayed safe but not dry. Later that night the power went out in our hotel, while we were trying to pack up for our flight home. No power, no water and no AC. I can officially check that off my list of things I want to do… ever.

Delicious food was what we had the most time for as a family and walking around Riverwalk near the convention center. I would definitely enjoy visiting NoLa again with AJ to explore the city more. Enjoy some photos I have.

Brunch time at Ruby SlipperEating his yummy shrimp and grits for brunch.Dawn hanging outArt in an elevatorJester statueDinner out with this guy (an a bunch of my gal pals).Had to try fried green tomatoes with shrimp and gritsDelicious Beignets from Café du MondeWaiting out the flash floodOff to a ballHomeward bound

Usually our vacations are near or with extended family, this was a nice getaway, even tho it was mostly a work trip for me. Where did you go this summer? Do you have a normal vacation spot each year?

What are your plans next year? I’d like to go camping next summer and explore more of the woods and area where we live. A vacation doesn’t always need to be somewhere away from home. Post about your vacation? Link up with us below!

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Join us next month for our Back to School post!

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]]>https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/ill-show-you-my-vacation/feed/0img_5482salisburyarmyMamas on Planeshttps://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/mamas-on-planes/
https://simplysalisbury.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/mamas-on-planes/#commentsTue, 08 Aug 2017 00:11:01 +0000http://simplysalisbury.com/?p=2220We are out numbered 3-2. The kids haven’t formed a coo against us yet but I fear if they choose to. We will lose.

On what should have been a 3 hour flight, we were delayed multiple times. From leaving the house to landing at our destination we traveled… hours.

Left the house at 10 am and after check in and security arrived at our gate with time to spare. Our flight was to board at 1:45 and be in the air for 2 hours 45 minutes. We boarded the plane and were ready to go when a storm warning came in. We would be sitting in the plane for an hour due to the delay. An hour later we were deplaned. Our original take off time and our actual take off were FIVE hours apart. FIVE. Don’t misunderstand I am incredibly grateful our flight wasn’t canceled and we arrived on our originally planned day. But have you ever traveled with little children? We have a teenager, a high spirited 7 year old and a lap infant/toddler. Like I said, we are out numbered.

I’ve read cute blogs from other moms about flying with kids and giving cute little care packages to the neighboring flyers. Yep not me. I don’t have the capacity for that. I have already thought of five things I forgot to pack.

We do our best to bring distractions in many forms for our kids. But asking them to sit in an airport as our flight was delayed every 30 minutes is torture, for us and everyone else.

Enter my saving grace, Vanessa. From our original boarding she was pure joy and kindness. She introduced herself to us and the kids, quickly mentioning she has three of her own little boys and knows what it is like to fly with little ones. Flying alone on this particular trip (turns out she’s a Younique presenter as well and is making her way down to New Orleans for convention as well) she assured us we are not to worry about fussing children. What a relief. A slightly older couple sat beside her and weren’t quite as happy with being in front of our little family but we’re keeping comments to themselves. Let’s be real here, I can see your head turns and corner of the eye glares while my child is throwing a needless tantrum. Sigh.

Upon deboarding the plane, still in Newark, we stay near the gate as our departure time was only 30 minutes away. Time came and went, departure times changed; 2:30, 3:45, 4:10, 4:45, 5:10, 5:45, 6:10 and finally 6:30. Time to board! Yes! Quick check and adjustment of the fuel tanks and away from the gate we go!! Slight delay on the tarmac as there is a back up of all west bound flights as well as a possible new storm. Waiting 10 minutes for clearance, then an additional 15 minutes. Finally our turn to hit the runway, 7:30 take off time!! Our delays are longer than our flight time, but thank you Jesus our flight is still leaving.

You may be wondering why Vanessa is my saving grace. Remember the 30 minute increment delays? AJ walked Baby K around our terminal, changed his diaper multiple times, he and the girls ate the snacks we packed for the flight. Four hours is a long time to wait for what I am sure seems like nothing to a child. Multiple times Vanessa was down on the ground playing with Baby K and Little Red (really should find a new nickname for Baby K). She took them to the windows, chatted with them and entertained them. Even while we were waiting on the tarmac she put a movie on her phone for the littles to watch and keep them occupied. Who does that for a stranger? While waiting we were free to move about, she took Baby K for a walk up and down the aisle waiving and saying hi to everyone. Then he wanted to be held and he let her hold him. She swayed with him while he tried everything he could to keep his eyes open. Time to take our seats, so close to sleeping. As soon as the plane was off the ground Baby K was out! Little Red still entertained by the movie, Baby K asleep in my lap, all is well. I thanked her profusely and many times. All she said was I hope someone does the same for me when I fly with my kids. Talk about paying it forward with kindness!

So here I sit on our flight, writing about our family’s flight angel with tears in my eyes and drops slowly rolling down my cheeks. Hopefully we all will be a little more kind to those we interact with on a daily basis. This is how we show Christ’s love and compassion, being kind to each other.

Love those who spitefully use you. Treat others as you wish to be treated.